Smart Driving Enters the Sub-$15K Market: Leapmotor A10 with LiDAR Ignites Mass-Market ADAS Battle

Priced from just RMB 65,800, the Leapmotor A10 launched on March 26, becoming the first vehicle under RMB 100,000 to offer advanced point-to-point intelligent driving functionality equipped with a LiDAR sensor. Previously, BYD had already made highway navigation pilot and valet parking standard features on models like the Seagull. Leapmotor now goes further by adding urban-area assisted driving and memory parking capabilities. CEO Zhu Jiangming revealed that over half of A10 orders are for the LiDAR-equipped version, signaling that intelligent driving is shifting from a “nice-to-have” feature to a “must-have.” Meanwhile, XPeng unveiled its second-generation VLA large model, targeting Level 4 autonomous driving experience, while Huawei introduced an 896-line LiDAR to enhance perception in extreme scenarios. Today, the competition in intelligent driving spans all price segments, yet the industry remains divided on key technical approaches—such as perception systems (pure vision vs. LiDAR), model architectures, and in-house development strategies. Automakers are now racing to transform complex intelligent driving capabilities into scalable, cost-effective products to break through intensifying market homogenization.